“WWE SmackDown’s” viewership for the show before Saturday Night’s Main Event saw a slight increase, but the key demographic rating declined.
The July 17 show, held in Albany, New York, drew average viewership of 1,243,000, up from the previous week’s 1,212,000, a slight 3% increase, according to “Programming Insider.” The figure was also slightly above WWE’s four-week average of 1,203,000, according to “Wrestlenomics.” The news wasn’t as positive for WWE in the key 18-49 demographic, as the rating fell from 0.24 to 0.21. The show’s trailing four-week average before last week’s episode was also 0.24, indicating that the July 17 edition fell below recent trends. However, despite the fall, “SmackDown” was #1 for the night on cable in the ratings.
Both metrics saw year-over-year declines when comparing the July 2026 and July 2025 numbers, with average overall viewership down 16% and the key demographic rating falling a whopping 43%, according to “Wrestlenomics.”
Last week’s show was an action-packed one and the final stop before Saturday Night’s Main Event, with a brawl between Cody Rhodes and GUNTHER to open the show, with the two eventually facing in the main event where Rhodes got the win. There was also a qualifier for the WWE Women’s Championship Ladder match, where Tiffany Stratton got the better of Jacy Jayne, while Jade Cargill won against Nia Jax in the other qualifier.
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